Roxie Fudge was overcome with emotion when speaking about what the jeep community means to her. “There’s so much hate and discord in this world. All you need is kindness,” she said.
The first day of this year’s Jeeps Go Topless Days — a massive affinity group for jeep lovers — was held May 15 and will continue until May 17 on the beach in Long Beach. Fudge was on the beach representing the PNW Jeep Girl Tribe, an off-road community with members across the Pacific Northwest, providing support to the Long Beach group LBP 4×4, the group behind the event.
At the steering wheel of the LBP 4×4 community is Katharine Wilhelm — a one-woman-boots-on-the-ground organizer — as described by Fudge, with her official title being event coordinator and director. Standing beside Fudge, Wilhelm was quick to diffuse her peer’s compliment. “I have a lot of amazing people to help me,” she said, nodding at Fudge and others standing nearby.
On Friday, many jeeps started their migration to the coast. Kathy Alden is the administrator and owner of the group Jeep Singles WA – Washington State jeep owners who identify as single and use the group to organize events and meet new people. Their Facebook page states that they are not a dating site and “embrace all jeep owners from built rock crawlers to bone stock to pavement princes/ses.” On Friday morning she led a convoy of 60 jeeps from Lynwood to Raymond to Ilwaco.
On the following morning, the day began with a steady stream of Jeeps slowly rolling onto the Bolstad beach approach amidst an already amassed cluster of hundreds of Jeeps decorated with themes, flags, props and paint. Hours later, when the group is assembled, an aerial count is done. “Last year we had well over 1800 vehicles come out,” Wilhelm said. “It takes a long time for this many jeeps to assemble.” Once the count is done, the jeeps caravan about 12 miles up the beach toward Ocean Park, looping around in a Jeep parade. Later in the day they join up for a sunset cruise and a bonfire. Surveying the gathering that began six years ago, Wilhelm said, “with terrible gas prices and a bad weather forecast, the turnout is pretty impressive this year.”
Couple Dan and Tiffany Slater from Bremerton came out for the weekend. “I’m with her. It’s her jeep, I’m her mechanic,” said Dan, but in a serious tone added “it’s fun seeing all the jeeps and different accessories and the paint jobs. The older jeeps are what gets me. I love seeing vintage jeeps,” he said. Tiffany added “it was a friend who had a jeep and got me into this. She said come down to Long Beach and I did and I’ve been doing it ever since. I love the camaraderie. It’s like a family.”
Wilhelm describes the gathering as a non-competitive family friendly charity event. “This is strictly a charitable event to raise money for South Pacific County Humane Society and Peninsula Wild Care,” said Wilhelm. “Peninsula Wild Care is the sole rehabilitator for shore birds, sea mammals and your deer and rabbits and they’ve even transported bald eagles off the beach. All our Jeepers love the animals.”
Jeep lovers affectionately call each other “jeepers,” — a nickname for those who enthusiastically own and drive a jeep — and the larger community supports smaller subcultures within the community. Fudge said, “The PNW Jeep Girl Tribe’s motto is ‘jeep girl strong,’ and the group is 4200 and growing women from the Pacific Northwest that are being empowered by jeeps. I’m down here supporting Katharine. Our tribe has a charity this year, too. We are giving money to “Tread Lightly, which keeps all public lands open,” she said. “Without them, there would be no tribe.”
The family theme is a refrain extending to the “jeep wave,” a feature fueled by camaraderie where jeep drivers nod to other jeeps on the road. “I’ve been a jeeper my entire life, it’s a whole community. It’s easy to find each other when you’re out on the road and you see another jeep you wave to each other. No jeeps left behind. It’s just a really good family I guess when it comes down to it,” said Wilhelm. “This is a perfect example of how groups can collaborate. It’s not about the turf. All three of us have worked tirelessly and if we’re a family let’s be a family.”
Roxie Fudge echoed. “When you’re out on a trail and you have a big machine under your hands and you’re trending to it and you’re looking for where your wheels are,” she said, “Everyone leaves discussion of the horrors of the world at home and if just for a moment get out in the trees, find your zen and get your balance. For me, that empowerment is what this community is all about.”